


Our Paths Crossed Again

by feihart



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Best friend and best roommate Iwaizumi, Break Up and Make Up, Friends With Benefits, Like High School, M/M, Mild Profanity, Mutual Pining, Oikawa POV, Oikawa Tooru in Denial, Oikawa-centric, Past ushioi - Freeform, Post-Break Up, Post-injury, Unreliable Narrator, Ushijima Wakatoshi is Better At Feelings Now Than He Was Before I Guess, enemies to lovers if you squint
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-20 07:14:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30001227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feihart/pseuds/feihart
Summary: Realistically, Oikawa knows that the chances of Ushijima and him running into each other are low. Or - they have been until now, assuming they both entered the university at the same time. He wasn’t entirely sure how they’d gotten this far without bumping into each other if they had.But despite the probabilities and reassurances from friends, Oikawa sees Ushijima again, and this time Ushijima sees him too.With the amount of thought he’s been putting into Ushijima since Oikawa spotted him last week, Ushijima might as well have been around the whole time anyway. It was like Oikawa had wished it into existence, though maybe it was more of a curse.—Two years after Oikawa and Ushijima break up, they meet each other again, and Oikawa is less than thrilled. But just like before, he's swept along in the quiet storm that is Ushijima Wakatoshi.
Relationships: Oikawa Tooru/Ushijima Wakatoshi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23
Collections: Haikyuu Big Bang 2020





	Our Paths Crossed Again

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Hi!
> 
> This is the first part of my hqbb fic! (To the mods, I am so sorry this is late without warning). Gosh, I want to thank my amazing beta [Effie](https://twitter.com/bluenimi) for being so so patient with me, and a huge thank you to [Ash](https://twitter.com/quillifer) for being patient as well and drawing beautiful art for this story!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! (Which I will link in a bit) You guys are awesome!
> 
> About the story: GOD! I just. This is essentially just. A small exploration of a dynamic. It's not super angsty, and Oikawa is flip-floppy because that is his nature, and Ushijima is a quiet and strong force trying to make up for the past — I will say no more. I hope you read it and enjoy it. Part 2 will be out ummm soon! Ash's art will give you a little sneak peek of what's to come :eyes: (Although warning: part 2 MIGHT be spicy and nsfw, so I will update if that is the case).

Oikawa Tooru extends his leg out in front of him and grimaces at the discomfort of the action. He’s stretching as his physiotherapist once recommended before he sets out on the five-kilometre run he’d planned for today. The sharp pain in his right knee is telling him he should take it easy, but he figures if he waits for the painkillers to kick in and goes at a light jog, his knee should hold.  _ Should _ .

He hears Iwaizumi Hajime before he sees him. The door to his bedroom creaks open and his heavy, sleepy footsteps sound in the hallway. Oikawa squints as he turns on the light of the kitchen on his way to the refrigerator. “Oh, you’re up,” he says groggily when he notices Oikawa by the couch. “Why are you in the dark, weirdo?” Oikawa snorts and removes one of his earbuds, though he hadn’t been listening to any music yet. “Tea?”

“Nah, I’m good.” Oikawa leans forward on his hands and slightly lifts himself up to switch his legs. He reaches across to his left foot with his right hand and pulls back. “I’ll have some when I come back.”

Iwaizumi finishes settling the kettle before he turns towards Oikawa, squinting at him like he’s properly taking him in for the first time this morning. He probably is. “You’re going for a run? It’s early.” He glances towards the microwave. “6:37 AM early.”

“I’m aware. I won’t have time later with all my tutorials.”

“Did you stretch?” Iwaizumi’s back is turned towards him now. He’s reaching for the smaller teapot in the cupboard so he misses the grimace on Oikawa’s face.

“What do you think I’m doing now? Just chilling on the floor?”

“I’m just checking, damn.”

Oikawa releases a short, airy laugh. “Yes, mom, I’m stretching.”

He knows how much it annoys Iwaizumi when he calls him ‘mom’ for nagging at him, even though he repeatedly insists he’s not nagging, he’s looking out for him. Oikawa wonders if Iwaizumi notices he picked up that excuse from his own mother.

“No pain?” he asks him.

Oikawa’s bent knee is still throbbing, and might for the whole day if he doesn’t take it easy. He says, “Nope. No pain.”

🏃

  
  


Oikawa sort of regrets not skipping this morning’s run when he woke up in pain. He rubs at his thigh, contemplating the vending machine in front of him. Well, he doesn’t completely regret it. He had jogged the whole distance, so he’s actually feeling quite proud of himself.

He punches in the key to his desired item, deciding to reward himself with cream soda.

“Get me an iced tea.”

Oikawa glances at Nametsu Mai. She’s not looking at him when she makes her demand, instead engaging in her completely unstealthy activity of people watching. Oikawa has tried only once to tell her that people don’t appreciate much when they’re being stared at unless they’re pretty like him, and she had kindly suggested that he  _ shut the fuck up _ .

“Can’t you ask nicely? Or cutely?”

With no reservations, she drives her elbow into his side. He staggers away to avoid it, but he hadn’t seen it coming so she hits her mark with ease. His knee decidedly does not like the sudden movement.

She grins. “Since when do I ask you things nicely?”

He opens his mouth to retort that she  _ used _ to be nice to him when they first met. They were first years in an introductory biology class. She regularly sat next to him, and he’d lean over to ask her questions sometimes unrelated to the lecture. Occasionally she’d get annoyed, but not enough to refuse his invitation to join a study group he’d recently joined himself. He’d wanted a familiar face, and - though if he was asked, he would deny it - a friend. 

He shakes his head. “It’s my fault,” he sighs dramatically, bending down to grab his drink. “I let you take my kindness for granted.”

Nametsu snorts loudly. “Right. Iced teaaaaaaa.” She drags out the  _ tea  _ until he gives in and punches in the item code.

He bends down to pick up her drink and hands it to her. She takes it with a chirp of ‘thank you’ and a soft smile. She poises her hand to open her can but pauses her action to say, “Oh, damn. Something  _ handsome  _ this way comes.”

He bends down to pick up her drink and hands it to her. She takes it with a chirp of ‘thank you’ and a soft smile. She poises her hand to open her can but pauses her action to say, “Oh, damn. Something  _ handsome  _ this way comes.”

“I’m already here.” Oikawa snickers when Nametsu shoots him a glare. He pops his can of soda open and takes a sip. “Fine - who are you talking about?”

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Nametsu point to someone. He glances that way and chokes when he recognizes the person in question. It’s Ushijima Wakatoshi.

Nametsu’s mouth twists as she grimaces at Oikawa, offended by his sudden loud coughing fit. She pats his back unsympathetically, and he squints his eyes at her.

“You okay?” she asks him. She’s looking at Oikawa, but Oikawa isn’t looking at her, or even at anything even close to her. Instead, he’s looking in the direction she had indicated before, stepping to stand behind her when Ushijima walks past them without noticing them. Not that this move would have done him any good if Ushijima  _ had _ noticed - Oikawa is much taller than Nametsu, so he would have been spotted immediately.

“I’m fine.” Oikawa glances into his soda can. He didn’t lose much of his drink. But damn. Truthfully, he hasn’t seen, let alone thought of, Ushijima since around mid-August this year. The last time they spoke was two years ago, days before Ushijima boarded an airplane to America. But that doesn’t matter now.

Grumbling, he says, “He’s not even that hot.”

There’s a pause before Nametsu starts laughing, covering her mouth with a hand. “Are you threatened?”

“No!”

“He’s definitely hotter than you.”

“ _ Quiet _ , you.” Oikawa turns away from Nametsu and the vending machines. “I’m leaving without you. That’s it, you’ve really done it now.”

“Wait, no, let’s go together.” Nametsu catches up to his long strides by dashing after him, holding her drink gingerly so it doesn’t spill over her front, and carefully loops both her arms around one of his. Oikawa slows down his pace but keeps his grimace, feigning irritation. She smiles up at him triumphantly. “I don’t know where the study room is.”

🧉

**The Whole Fucking Circus**

_ You’ll never guess who I saw on MY campus today _

**Makki**

Half of us attend the same university, it’s OUR campus??

**Iwa-Chan**

Looooooool.

**Mattsun**

Lmao who??

_ Ushiwaka!!!! >:OOOO _

**Mattsun**

Oh really? Does he go here?

_ Unless he visits campuses for fun, i’m guessing yeah _

**Makki**

I thought he was supposed to be in the USA

_ Me fucking too! _

**Makki**

Guess he’s back

_ This is terrible _

**Iwa-Chan**

Did you talk? I know you had a weird thing with him.

_?? We did not have a weird thing he was my enemy _

_ But no i didnt talk to him hes lowkey still my enemy _

**Iwa-Chan**

Right.

**Makki**

lol

_ What if i run into him and he t-🤢talks to me _

_ I can’t promise i’ll be nice _

**Iwa-Chan**

You’re never nice

  
  


_ Stfu _

**Mattsun**

i’m sure you’ll be fine lmao

campus is pretty big, yeah? who knows if you’ll run into him again

  
  


“Ugh,” he says emphatically, swiping away the iMessage app then pocketing his phone. If he pauses a moment to think about it, Oikawa isn’t all that annoyed that Ushijima is back and that he didn’t tell Oikawa that he was back - that’s just his style. And it’s not even really like he  _ had _ to tell him - he never even told him when he left. It’s annoy _ ing _ , but it’s also whatever.

Curious to know when he’d returned, though, Oikawa takes out his phone and opens Instagram. He searches  _ ushijimawakatoshi13 _ , the same username Ushijima keeps for basically everything - it’s just a combination of his name and his favourite number. Not that Oikawa cares enough to remember his favourite anything.

Ushijima’s last post is of him holding his shikoku inu, Tofu. The dog seems bigger in the picture than Tooru remembers him, but he doesn’t think he’s grown all that much. The look on Ushijima’s face is so cute and fond, it brings a smile to Oikawa’s face. He has to force himself to relax his muscles because Ushijima is not cute with this hairstyle, shaved close to his head, bangs very short in the front - only the dog is.

The post was made 2 months ago. The next one is also from 2 months ago. In this one, he’s sitting in an airport, smiling in that weird way of his at the camera while holding up a small American flag. The caption reads  _ Going home. Goodbye USA. See you next time. _ Succinct and completely void of any other personal information - that’s also Ushijima’s style. Well, at least he found out Ushijima has only been back for a short while. He must still be settling in. Not that it matters to him.

The walk back to his dorm from the campus library isn’t too long, but he takes his time with it. The sun has set so it’s dark, and the cool autumn breeze is refreshing.

_ Right, _ he thinks to himself,  _ I should be fine. _

👍

Realistically, Oikawa knows that the chances of Ushijima and him running into each other are low. Or - they have been until now, assuming they both entered the university at the same time. He wasn’t entirely sure how they’d gotten this far without bumping into each other if they had.

Even though they did almost meet again, the probability after that should have still been low. He asked Iwaizumi, who didn’t think it was a big deal at all, and then Kuroo Tetsurou, who indulged him a little more - if only to avoid doing his own school work and to poke fun at someone else’s life for once. And Oikawa trusted him because he also takes some math classes in university - math is for smart people, right?

But despite Kuroo’s guaranteed perfect math and reassurances, Oikawa sees Ushijima again, and this time Ushijima sees him too. 

With the amount of thought he’s been putting into Ushijima since Oikawa spotted him last week, Ushijima might as well have been around the whole time anyway. It was like Oikawa had wished it into existence, though maybe it was more of a curse.

Oikawa sees him first, again. He had been staring out the cafe’s window, distracted, and jolted when his eyes finally registered the person walking up the path as Ushijima Wakatoshi, in all his six-foot-two glory. He isn’t alone this time, standing next to and talking to someone just as tall as him, with wavy brown hair falling into his eyes. Oikawa looks away, down at his paper, and slinks a little further down in his chair. 

Escape routes are limited. He can pack up and leave, but he’d have to pass by Ushijima at the door. He could up and hide in the bathroom now, but if Ushijima was still there when he decided to come out, he’d be embarrassed. 

He takes off his glasses, then puts them back on - maybe he’d be more recognizable with them off. He opts to lean forward on his elbow and to shield as much of his forehead and eyes as he can with his hand.

He allows himself to peer under his hand. Ushijima enters the coffee shop and passes right by him, towards the service counter. He lets out a relieved breath.

“Oikawa.”

Of course, his peace is short-lived.

When Oikawa looks up, he finds Ushijima standing next to his table, his expression void of much emotion. Oikawa feels awkward with his gaze fixed on him.

He considers pretending he doesn’t know him, but he’s unsure how that conversation will go. Or if he can get away with that, honestly. Doubtful, even for him.

He leans back in his chair and directs his holiday season smile at him, the exact one he uses when he’s interacting with the side of the extended family he doesn’t like - the aunts who pinch his cheeks a little too hard, the uncles who ask if he’s found a nice person to settle down with yet, despite only being in university. 

“Ushijima,” he greets coolly. “You should definitely be more excited to see me.”

“I am.” His tone doesn’t sound any less monotone than it had a moment ago. But he looks so serious, Oikawa has to resist the urge to throw his mechanical pencil at him in a petulant display of emotion.

“Hard to tell, if you ask me. There’s not nearly enough elation.”

A very small smile does make its way on Ushijima’s face, and Oikawa feels kind of proud of himself. “It’s been a while. You’re looking pretty good.”

“Of course I am.” If that hadn’t been Oikawa’s knee-jerk response, he might have let it fluster him. “Did you expect any less of me?”

“I suppose not.” Ushijima scans Oikawa from the top of his head to his waist, and Oikawa tries not to feel  _ something _ under his scrutiny - it proves more difficult than he had hoped.

Oikawa waits for two beats into the silence that follows before he speaks again, knowing it was unlikely for Ushijima to carry a conversation - a conversation Oikawa doesn’t even want to have in the first place, but he’ll be damned if he lets things get awkward and let Ushijima catch on to the fact he’s painfully nervous. “So. You’re here. When’d you come back?”

Ushijima’s face shifts a little, his furrowed eyebrows releasing tension to arch up with surprise. “A little over a month ago. I…” He starts, then hesitates. “I didn’t know if you wanted to hear from me.”

“I didn’t,” Oikawa confirms with a clear derision in his voice. He schools his expression into cool indifference as Ushijima nods calmly - Oikawa pretends the placid agreement doesn’t bother him.

“I understand.” Ushijima says it in the way he always used to, like he really does understand, even though Oikawa never slowed down and explained things to him - he never had the time. “I thought we’d have run into each other sooner.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“The volleyball club,” he says. “You’re not on the team with me.”

_ How irritating,  _ Oikawa thinks. He does not want to be talking to Ushijima about volleyball, or about anything at all really - but especially not volleyball. “No, I’m not. Didn’t make the cut. Sorry I  _ once again _ didn’t fit into your grand plans, I guess.”

“I heard an injury took you out.” Ushijima tilts his head. “I don’t believe that was part of your plans, either.”

“How the fuck do you know about that?” Oikawa hisses, now very annoyed. The friend Ushijima walked in with has gotten the drinks he ordered. He’s grabbing straws by the counter, and Oikawa thinks this is a great time to end this conversation. “Hey. It was lovely catching up to you,” he says as neutrally as he can manage. “But you look busy and I’m waiting for someone. Can you go away?” Oikawa isn’t waiting for anyone, but looking at Ushijima now makes an uncomfortable irritation bubble in his throat, and he hates it.

“Oh.” Ushijima blinks at Oikawa - once, twice, three times - and pulls his drink in closer to his chest. “Sorry, I don’t mean to interrupt your day. I’ll see you around, Oikawa.”

_ God, I hope not _ . Oikawa is glad he has the presence of mind not to say this out loud. Though the thought prevails, he manages to aim a tight smile at Ushijima. When Ushijima’s friend returns from the counter with a drink, he’s introduced as Hirugami Sachirou. They exchange greetings, then both of them are gone - and only a small part of Oikawa’s frustration leaves with them. Oikawa sighs and considers going back to the dorm without having studied all that much. He certainly isn’t going to focus now.

😤

“Uuuggghhhhhh,” Oikawa groans into his pillow. 

Iwaizumi says, calling through from his room next door, “What’s wrong?”

Oikawa doesn’t know how to explain the feeling of dread that’s taken over him. He’s been feeling like this since he saw Ushijima again, but it’s annoying that he let their conversation get to him. What about it - no, what about  _ him  _ \- was so off-putting? 

Was it that Ushijima sounded almost disappointed he wasn’t playing anymore? That he had looked forward to playing with him?

Was it that Ushijima knew things about him he had not told him? Was it because he had to have heard it from someone else, or had to have kept tabs on him somehow in the time they haven’t seen each other?

It’s annoying, and he can’t think about anything else but how he’s feeling and the jumble of thoughts he can’t decipher. 

He whines, drawing out the vowel, “My back huuuuuuurts,” but it’s muffled into the fabric of the pillow so Iwaizumi doesn’t understand. He’s a good roommate, though, and an even greater friend, so Iwaizumi makes his way to Oikawa’s room and leans against the threshold to check in.

“What’s wrong with you? Besides the usual.”

“I  _ said,  _ to anyone who cares enough to listen, that my back hurts.”

“You should use your heating pad.”

“I don’t know where I put it.”

“Idiot…” Iwaizumi leaves the room, easily slipping into problem-solving mode. When he comes back to Oikawa’s sorry state, it’s with a tall glass of water and a bottle of painkillers - Oikawa knows that if the roles were reversed, he would have pelted the tiny bottle at Iwaizumi’s head, so he’s grateful when Iwaizumi settles for shaking the correct dose into his hand. “Take these.” 

Oikawa takes the pills offered to him and downs them with the water, barely grimacing at the medicine’s taste. 

Iwaizumi pats his back in congratulations. He sighs as he takes back the glass and says, “Do you want to watch a crappy movie?”

“Yes.” Oikawa is thankful for his best friend. He did tell him about his conversation with Ushijima - although he had to admit that he had a fling with him in high school before Iwaizumi entertained any roundabout conversation about it - and he’s still here ready to cheer him up about it later. Oikawa lifts his arms in Iwaizumi’s direction and gets a grimace in response. He doesn’t want a hug, though. “Will you give me a massage?”

There’s no pause between Oikawa asking and Iwaizumi saying, “No.” Oikawa scowls at him before gently being pulled up and off the bed.

They settle in their small living room, sitting on the floor in front of the couch. Iwaizumi sets up the streaming service and searches for Back to the Future 2, knowing full well that it’s one of Oikawa’s favourite bad movies. It’s funny because it doesn’t really deal with the aliens he’s fond of, and he genuinely thinks it’s a good movie, but he’s also aware that it’s objectively  _ not  _ good, what with the nonsensical time travel elements of it. But Oikawa enjoys it because it’s brainless and fun, and Iwaizumi knows that - he’s joked before that’s why Iwaizumi is his best friend, too.

Iwaizumi faces him and offers his hands, and Oikawa takes them so he can help him stretch out his back. 

“So,” Iwaizumi starts a few minutes into the movie, when Oikawa is distracted enough. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Ugh. I  _ knew _ this was a ploy to get me to talk about my feelings.”

“Obviously.”

“Gross.” Oikawa pouts and hugs his knees to his chest, tilting his head as far forward as he can manage to stretch out a kink in his lower back. Iwaizumi doesn’t push Oikawa any further on the subject, which is a surefire way to get Oikawato open up anyway - it’s like Oikawa can’t resist talking about things if Iwaizumi explicitly doesn’t pursue them. Oikawa really doesn’t want to talk about Ushijima, though, because any and all feelings he has towards him are juvenile, the unintended product of some gross, crush-like thing from years ago that he doesn’t want to give any of his attention to. 

But, because he is who he is and he can’t help himself, Oikawa says, “I still think Ushiwaka is a dumb piece of shit, but that’s because of  _ before _ , and that was high school so I’m over it now.”

Iwaizumi just looks at him for a long moment, his face not betraying any thought he might be having. Oikawa envies that particular ability. “Right,” Iwaizumi says finally, looking towards the TV. “Spoken like a true man who’s definitely over it.”

“Iwa-chan,” Oikawa whines, waving his arm in his direction. “He was so  _ rude  _ to me the other day - didn’t even say  _ anything _ close to the apology he owes me. I think I deserve to be a little petty.”

“You don’t know how to be a  _ little _ petty, Tooru.”

“It’s not that I don’t know  _ how _ ,” he tells him, and Iwaizumi takes the hand he’s waving around emphatically to hold. Oikawa lets him. “I just don’t have the time to be  _ big _ petty, Iwa-chan. I have labs, assignments, exams, study groups, tutorials. I have to schedule in time to pee, for crying out loud.”

He’s being completely serious, but when Oikawa gets like this - impassioned by his own speech - it’s funny to Iwaizumi. Iwaizumi releases a short, breathy laugh, without fully losing his composure. “Yeah, I get it. You’re a STEM kid.” Oikawa tells him weakly to  _ shut up _ . Iwaizumi lets go of his hand. “How’s your back?”

“Better, I guess.” Oikawa rests his chin in the palm of his hand and sighs. There’s something else about his conversation with Ushijima that sticks with him. “Did you know he’s on the uni’s volleyball team?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“He thought I’d be on it, too.” Oikawa frowns at the TV, seeing the action but not registering it. 

“That’s - well...you would have been for sure. Maybe you still can be before you graduate.”

Oikawa whips his head towards him, grimacing. “With my whole body hurting? No, thanks. I’d rather not.”

Iwaizumi gently pushes at his shoulder. “Your doctors didn’t say you could  _ never _ play again, you know. Just that it’d be hard on your body.”

“I know.  _ I  _ just can’t.” Oikawa has never been able to explain why he feels like he can’t play again. He’s always thought it has something to do with general fear and anxiety, but he knows that’s only part of the reason. “Iwa-chan. Would you play with me again even if I suck now?”

Iwaizumi’s expression softens. “I’d play with you, even if you were the worst player in the world because you’re my best friend. It’s what we do.”

“Oh.” Oikawa was not expecting such a nice response. “Iwa-chan, I’m gonna cry—”

“Even though you have a shitty personality.”

“Aaaaand the sentimentality is gone.” Oikawa drags out the vowel, barely resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

Iwaizumi laughs, honest and deep - then Oikawa does too.

They drop it at that, not talking about either Ushijima or volleyball or much of anything for that matter, for the rest of the night.

🏐

When Oikawa had told Iwaizumi that he doesn’t have time to be ‘big petty’, he’d meant it. He has a crazy number of assignments due alongside the readings he is expected to do regularly, but this week has been particularly busy. He has a quiz in an hour and he’s  _ just  _ looking over his notes now, nervously chewing on the straw of his fruit punch carton. All he has to do is memorize the last bit of information that was  _ not  _ making its way into his brain last night, and he should be fine.  _ Should. _

He’s so fully immersed in his review of the material that he almost doesn’t notice when someone poses a box of green tea Pocky near his elbow. He looks up to find Ushijima smiling down sheepishly at him. 

“Hello,” Ushijima greets, fingers still loosely pressed against the Pocky. 

Oikawa barely manages to hide his displeasure, because  _ of course _ just as he lets his guard down, Ushijima corners him. Coolly, he responds, “Hey,” in a way he hopes will discourage Ushijima from talking to him further.

Ushijima doesn’t get the hint and instead sits down across Oikawa at the picnic table. He pushes the box of Pocky towards him, places it on top of his notes. “This is for you.”

Oikawa eyes the box suspiciously, but he doesn’t pick it up. “Matcha.”

“Yes.” Ushijima’s nervousness melts away into a bashful smile, and Oikawa hates it. “Your favourite flavour.”

Too many emotions pass through Oikawa at once. He’s being thrown back to every moment they shared before the last two years apart, when Ushijima would bring him his second favourite candy. For a second, he’s caught in the fact that Ushijima  _ remembers _ , had bothered to hold on to this information about him discovered long ago, until he remembers - Ushijima’s ‘gifts’ were always followed by requests. 

It doesn’t matter. Whatever he wants, Oikawa won’t give him. He takes the Pocky box and pushes against the indented opening with his thumb. “What do you want, then?”

“I want to apologize.” Ushijima catches Oikawa’s gaze. He looks serious but earnest and smaller than he actually is with his shoulders hunched forward like this. “I could tell I’d been insensitive when we first spoke—“

“I agree,” Oikawa interrupts, unable to help himself. 

“Yes. Ushijima nods and smiles - a nice, crooked slant of his lips, nothing like the weary one from his Instagram post - familiarity softening his gaze. “And I would have apologized sooner but I was unsure how to contact you.”

Oikawa thinks Ushijima looks too relaxed even though his eyebrows are furrowed; doesn’t quite feel the awkwardness between them. He wants to say something mean, but instead says something a little too honest. 

“My number hasn’t changed.” He watches Ushijima’s expression shift, his eyebrows relaxing, lifting slightly, a subtle change he’d grown used to seeing before indicating his pleasure. 

“Still 1820?”

He remembers. First, the candy, now his phone number. Oikawa knows it’s stupid and pointless to suddenly be angry about it — to think about asking Ushijima why he hadn’t saved him as a contact, only to learn that Ushijima put his name as his number -  _ to make sure I never forget _ — and he so upset about it. He tampers it down, carefully pulls out his notes from under the box of Pocky and says, “Yeah. And you’d know that if you—“  _ Ever called _ . Oikawa doesn’t say that, but maybe Ushijima knows he almost does.

Ushijima puts his arms on the table and Oikawa pulls away completely so they don’t accidentally touch. Ushijima looks at him honestly, “You’re right,” and then, “I’m sorry. I want to apologize for that too.”

Something else wells up in Oikawa’s chest - this time, it’s bloated and wet, feels very different from the fiery hot bubble of anger he’d experienced a moment ago. 

Oikawa stands without warning. “I have to go do my test.” It’s a half-truth. His test isn’t for another hour, but he kind of feels like crying suddenly, and it’s very embarrassing - he can’t be in Ushijima’s presence anymore.

“Don’t let me keep you,” Ushijima says by way of greeting, and Oikawa finally takes his leave.

He’s made it about ten steps away when he turns around and speeds back to the table. “This is mine now,” he declares as he snatches the box of Pocky. He doesn’t wait for Ushijima to say anything, but he does hear him release an amused breath as he walks away again.

🧃

When Oikawa is thinking about doing something dumb, the first person he usually texts is Matsukawa Issei. Of his three closest friends, it’s Matsukawa who is very good at both talking him out of it if he disapproves, or enabling him if he thinks it’ll be hilarious; second is Hanamaki Takahiro - a very capable being of chaos as well, whose best and almost only advice -  _ follow your heart  _ \- absolves him from ever having participated in the decision-making of dumb thing - and very last is Iwaizumi, because he has a very specific way of seeing through Oikawa and teasing out  _ why  _ he’s contemplating this - a result of knowing him for far too long.

Right now, Oikawa isn’t looking for an in-depth analysis of his emotions - he’s already frail, still deeply affected by Ushijima’s long-overdue apology, which had taken up a lot of his brain space in the hour leading up to his whiz, and then during the quiz too, and  _ then  _ during the time between the end of the quiz and his evening class. Thankfully, he’s a genius, so he isn’t worried about having been so distracted, he’d have bombed the quiz - which he didn’t.

**The Mediocre Kawa**

_ He said 3 sweet words to me _

_ Gave me the best flavour pocky _

_ And I gave him my number _

While he’d been mostly undistracted during this quiz, it’s sort of a different story now that he’s sitting in his second lecture of the day, completely free to direct his attention to Ushijima. Stupid, tall, docile Ushijima with his rare soft look and his soft voice. 

Oikawa had already done the stupid thing he’d need consultation on, and now he just wants emotional support.

**The Mediocre Kawa**

  
  


**The Mediocre Kawa**

who

_ Ushijima _

**The Mediocre Kawa**

LOL

**The Mediocre Kawa**

bro…

_ U laugh in the face of my stupidity _

**The Mediocre Kawa**

yea, cuz youre a simp

_ I shouldn’t have come to you about this _

**The Mediocre Kawa**

LMAO

Oikawa also remembers this is his texting order - Matsukawa, Takahiro, Iwaizumi - because he always answers him the fastest. He should have known Matsukawa is only good for enabling shenanigans and not for immediate emotional healing.

Just as Oikawa resigns himself to listen to his professor drone on, several messages come in at once: one from Matsukawa, followed closely by one from Iwaizumi - which is how Oikawa knows Matsukawa  _ told on him  _ \- and then one from an unknown number.

Because he can’t control himself, Oikawa opens Ushijima’s text first, relief flooding him when he remembers he doesn’t leave read receipts on automatically.

**Unknown**

**Unknown**

Oikawa? It’s me, Ushijima Wakatoshi.

_ Ushijima. _

_ Why are you texting me? _

**Unknown**

Just confirming it’s you.

**Unknown**

Am I not allowed to? You told me your number…

  
  


If he wasn’t clearly visible in the lecture hall, and if Ushijima was actually in front of him, Oikawa might have pulled his tongue at his phone. 

  
  


**Unknown**

_ Identity confirmed then _

**Unknown**

Indeed.

**Unknown**

I’m glad that’s sorted.

**Unknown**

I promise I won’t bother you.

  
  


📲

It’s been 3 days.

Oikawa is kind of pissed Ushijima hasn’t texted him. How dare he keep his promise of not bothering him? He should be doing more to beg for his forgiveness. Oikawa hadn’t responded to that, so maybe he should let him know.

He’s sitting on his bedroom floor, treating his personal volleyball like a stress ball, squeezing it from both sides with as much strength as possible. He kind of wants to spike it into Ushijima’s face, then wonders if Ushijima would let him and if that’ll make him feel better.

It probably wouldn’t, he thinks, since the strength in his arm is probably different than it used to be. Or maybe it’d hurt his ribs more than it would sting Ushijima’s face. Still. The imagery is kind of comforting.

He gently poses the volleyball to the side and picks up his phone from the edge of the desk.

**Ushijima >:(**

_ Hey _

_ U know u owe me more than fucking pocky, right _

The reply comes almost immediately, his phone dinging loudly in his room.

**Ushijima >:(**

**Ushijima >:(**

I know.

**Ushijima >:(**

I want to make it up to you.

**Ushijima >:(**

Will you let me?

_ Depends _

_ I’ll think of something that will make me forgive you _

**Ushijima >:(**

Within reason, I hope.

_ You’re in no position to be making demands _

_ Plus I’m always reasonable _

**Ushijima >:(**

Yes.

  
  


Oikawa regrets having taken refuge on the floor because none of his body parts appreciate it. He makes his way to his bed and lies down. He means to swipe away the iMessage app because he’s done talking to Ushijima and scroll through Twitter because he’s not going back to his lab report right now, but instead, he types out:  _ So how long are u staying in Japan?  _

**Ushijima >:(**

**Ushijima >:(**

Indefinitely. I plan on finishing my undergrad here.

_ Leaving after that? _

This time, there’s a fairly long pause before Ushijima’s next reply comes. It’s enough time to let Oikawa’s heart sink with a familiar ache - which is stupid because it doesn’t matter to Oikawa. It  _ shouldn’t _ .

Eventually, his reply does come.

**Ushijima >:(**

**Ushijima >:(**

I don’t know yet.

**Ushijima >:(**

It depends on a lot of things, but I’m sure I can decide later.

_ Pragmatic as ever. _

**Ushijima >:(**

I just find it important to be aware of my uncertainties.

  
  


Oikawa turns his head to the side and sees his volleyball sitting where he’d left it. He’d almost left it behind when they’d moved to Tokyo, but Iwaizumi shoved it amongst his belongings anyway. He’s sort of glad he did - now he uses it as a way to press his uncertainties into it.

**Ushijima >:(**

_ Any current uncertainties and how to deal with them? _

  
  


He doesn’t know why he asks - he’s not curious and he definitely doesn’t want Ushijima’s advice.

**Ushijima >:(**

**Ushijima >:(**

Yes. Currently, I am uncertain about deciding what I should have for dinner.

  
  


Oikawa was probably one message away from spiralling into his thoughts, but Ushijima’s reply makes him smile. He snorts, amused, then forces himself to frown - that’s not funny. Ushijima is not a funny person to him anymore.

**Ushijima >:(**

**Ushijima >:(**

I want something nutritious but not too filling because I’m not too hungry. I am struggling.

_ U can’t go wrong with a nice bowl of ramen _

**Ushijima >:(**

That is an option.

  
  


With that, Oikawa knows his idea has been rejected - it’s fine, and he can’t help the way Ushijima’s response makes him laugh.

🍜

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> And so things are going back to normal for them...? Stay tuned for part 2 ! Come talk to me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/bakchimin) !!!


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